Currently there are several approaches to deployment of networks in the home. Some approaches follow the “no new wires” paradigm and attempt to use existing wires such as phone lines, power lines, or cable television lines to connect devices. Other approaches assume that, as compelling applications and services arrive, new homes will come with the appropriate wires, and that such wires will also be deployed in existing homes. It is currently projected that CAT5 cables will be deployed in a large number of new homes as they are constructed, and that CAT5 will also be the wiring of choice in retrofitting existing homes.
Typically, CAT5 wiring with standardized RJ45 connectors is set up in homes in a star topology, where wires from each wall outlet are drawn to a central hub in a wiring closet. Ethernet, and 100BaseT Ethernet in particular, is the most popular data link protocol being used over CAT5 wiring. Another networking standard, known as IEEE 1394, has seen a recent increase in popularity, especially for use in multimedia distribution. A newer version of the IEEE 1394 standard, called IEEE 1394b, includes CAT5 as a transport medium. Both IEEE 1394b and 100BaseT Ethernet have their advantages and disadvantages. A preference for one over the other is usually based on an implicit assumption as to whether data networking or multimedia distribution will be the driving force behind deployment of home networks. It is unlikely that the dust will settle on debate over IEEE 1394b versus 100BaseT Ethernet for CAT5 in the near future.